Tea Apothecary

This is a tea cabinet or apothecary. The cabinetry unit is meant to be a standard production item that can be installed within specialized cabinetry the customer chooses. The tea boxes are cedar and are meant to be taken out, and to work, if you feel like a particular tea on any given day. This housing cabinet is made from maple and is not stained, only finished with a clear latex varnish. The tea boxes are unfinished and unstained, to be food safe.

The end grain was more visually appealing than the other side, according to the customer. The next run will have mitered corners and a top lid that slides in grooves or dadoes. Rather than explaining what is food safe and what is not, I choose the simple route, no finish on the boxes. Thanks for the advice.

I chose the cedar. It was the only seasoned softwood I wad in any quantity. The teas are always bagged, or in a little aluminum can that fit in the boxes, so taste migration was not a concern. You know, even though it seems that making things like these are very simple, a lot is gained by doing some product development.